Here Comes International Day of the Seafarer
Seafarers on Duty
By Andrew Mwangura
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
This year’s annual Day of the Seafarer will be held on June 25, 2024 to express gratitude and recognize the hard work, dedication and persistence of the seafarers in the maritime industry.
The Merchant Navy is not limited to only goods, but there are ferries, passenger vessels or cruise ships that are convenient for seafarers services and expertise.
Apart from transportation, ships also aid in environmental research, survey, underwater
exploration and scientific studies and much more on the sustainability of ocean health.
There are also tug boats that guide and move or tow other ships into and out of harbours or ports worldwide. The boats are also used in emergencies if a vessel is on fire or loses control or drifts off course.
Those merchant ships are controlled by skilled merchant mariners who are responsible for safety transportation and loading of cargo from one port to another, which is really a gargantuan task.
For this, seafarers leave their families for months and sail on board ships to foreign lands far away from home to offer their services through involvement of risky tasks on and off board.
Being a Seafarer takes sheer mental and physical strength, discipline and persistence to carry out all assignments given to them by the vessels’ captain on the line of duty.
Therefore, in honour of the brave merchant mariners, this day is marked to remember their role in
keeping the world’s maritime trade flowing smoothly so that requirements of people across the globe
are fulfilled from the food we eat to the appliances we use.
This day is for the heroes who navigate the oceans and seas so others can have a comfortable life.
As we observe the International Day of the Seafarer, let us push for the fast tracking and enactment of Bandari Maritime Academy Bill 2023.
Others are the amendments of the Merchant Shipping Act 2006; the establishment of Cabotage Policy; the establishment of International Ship Registry and the revival of Kenya National Shipping Line.
Next, is the establishment of Central Maritime Data Bank; the establishment of National Merchant Navy Training Committee; the establishment of supporting policies and legislation frame work in Maritime Sector; and push for higher budgetary allocation for Maritime Education and Training.
